Description:

Swimmer Sara Isakovic, kayaker Peter Kauzer, football coach Branko Oblak and sports educator Evgen Titan are the winners of this year's Bloudek Prizes, the highest national awards for achievements in sport.

"The selection of the winners was difficult, as Slovenian athletes had a lot of extraordinary successes last year," legendary gymnast Miro Cerar, who headed the jury, told the press before Tuesday's ceremony at Brdo pri Kranju.

Isakovic, who won silver in the 200 metres freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Games, has been awarded for her achievements prior to 2009, while Kauzer was honoured for his extraordinary 2009 season, which he capped by winning the title of world champion.

Branko Oblak and Evgen Titan were honoured for lifetime sporting achievements. The former is the best Slovenian player of all times and now a successful coach, while the latter worked as coach, referee event organiser and commentator.

The prizes are named after Slavko Bloudek (1890-1959), an aviation pioneer, inventor and all-round sportsman, who is best known for constructing the first giant ski jumping hill in Planica.

Bloudek built over 100 ski-jumping hills and provided advice in the construction of famous large hills in Oberstdorf and Kulm. The hill that is currently used for ski flying in Planica was built to Bloudek's plans by Lado and Janez Gorisek, while constructors in Germany and Austria also tapped into his designs.

Last year the Bloudek Prizes went to Olympic hammer throw gold medalist Primoz Kozmus and sports, the first Slovenian paralympic medalist Joze Okoren, handballer Stane Papez and Athlete Adi Vidmajer.

Like this story? Why not use our RSS feed and receive updates as soon as they are posted? Or JOIN US as a member and comment on the news, receive periodical newsletters and help us create this site with MyGUIDE2 social networking.